Guest appearances and celebrity cameos are some of the top-tier moments in movies and whether they’re big or small, most of them are pretty memorable for audiences. Most film fans can catch a familiar face like Lance Armstrong in Dodgeball and Chris Pine’s brief appearance in Free Guy, but it’s a lot harder to spot the cameos made by real-life individuals who are crucial to the movie.
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While some non-celebrity cameos are more obvious than others, some including Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Big Eyes go over some audiences’ heads. From The Wolf of Wall Street to The French Connection, these are 10 of the best real-life cameos in movies.
10 ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ (2013) – Jordan Belfort
Image via Paramount Pictures
Martin Scorsese’s Oscar-nominated movie, The Wolf of Wall Street, follows the epic rise and fall of New York stockbroker, Jordan Belfort, played by Leonardo DiCaprio. The movie features an array of stars including Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie, Rob Reiner and Matthew McConaughey.
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In one of the movie’s final scenes, DiCaprio’s character has turned over a new leaf and after serving time behind bars for his crimes, he becomes a motivational speaker. Before he makes his way to the stage for one of his presentations, he’s introduced by the event’s host who is the actual Jordan Belfort.
9 ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’ (2006) – Chris Gardner
Image via Columbia Pictures
Will Smith stars in The Pursuit of Happyness as single father, Chris Gardner who struggles to raise his son (Jaden Smith) while working as an unpaid intern at a brokerage firm. As the father and son endure a series of hardships, Gardner’s unwavering determination and optimism eventually pays off.
At the end of the movie, audiences watch as Smith and his son walk off hand-in-hand toward the horizon. As they are walking, they pass by a man who is sharply dressed and walking in the opposite direction. While the encounter is brief, the man who passes them is the real Chris Gardner.
8 ‘Big Eyes’ (2014) – Margaret Keane
Image via The Weinstein Company
Amy Adams takes on the role of artist, Margaret Keane, in Tim Burton’s biopic, Big Eyes, which also stars Christoph Waltz as Keane’s husband and fellow painter, Walter. In the late 1950s, Walter gained major notoriety for his artwork but Big Eyes unravels the facade revealing that Margaret is the true artist and source of Walter’s success.
Early on in the movie, Adams is seen tediously working on a landscape painting in a local park in San Francisco. As she works in solitude, a white-haired woman is sitting on a bench behind her quietly reading who happens to be the real Margaret Keane.
7 ‘Zodiac’ (2007) – Bryan Hartnell
Image via Warner Bros.
David Fincher’s dramatic thriller, Zodiac, explores the real-life events surrounding the serial killer known as The Zodiac and his reign of terror that plagued San Francisco in the late 1960s and 70s. Zodiac features a star-studded cast of Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo, and Jake Gyllenhaal and while the identity of the Zodiac remains unknown today, Fincher provides just enough information for the audience to come up with their own conclusion.
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In September 1969, the Zodiac attacked for the third time and targeted law student, Bryan Hartnell and his girlfriend, Cecelia in Napa County. Hartnell micaceously survived the brutal attack, but Cecelia ended up passing away two days later from her injuries. Mid-way through the movie, there’s a scene at the courthouse with Ruffalo and Dermot Mulroney and as they are conversing, the real Bryan Hartnell walks past behind them.
6 ‘Pelé: Birth of a Legend’ (2016) – Pelé
Image via IFC Films
The American biopic, Pelé: Birth of a Legend, follows the early life of Brazilian football player, Pelé, and the events that up to him and his team winning the FIFA World Cup in 1958. The movie is directed by Jeff and Michael Zimbalist and stars Vincent D’Onofrio, Rodrigo Santoro and Kevin de Paula as the young Pelé.
During their stay at a hotel, Pelé and his teammates engage in a challenge to never let the ball hit the ground which causes them to juggle the ball throughout the five-star establishment. As they pass the ball back and forth, they accidentally knock over the sugar from someone’s tea, but Pelé apologizes and cleans up the mess. As he leaves to catch up to his teammates, the man turns around to watch him leave revealing to be the legendary Pelé himself.
5 ‘Apollo 13’ (1995) – Jim Lovell
Image via Universal Pictures
Apollo 13 is an iconic drama directed by Ron Howard and centers around the crew and the events that caused them to abort their mission to land on the moon in 1970. The movie stars Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, Gary Sinise, Ed Harris, and Kevin Bacon and went on to earn nine Academy Award nominations winning for Best Sound and Film Editing.
When the crew safely lands, they’re taken aboard the USS Iwo Jima where they’re greeted by a cheering crowd of sailors and officers. Hanks, who plays Commander Jim Lovell, speaks with the ship’s captain who is played by the real Lovell. Howard had originally intended to have him play an admiral but Lovell, who retired under the rank of captain, chose to appear as his former ranking.
4 ‘Catch Me If You Can’ – Frank Abagnale Jr.
Image via DreamWorks Pictures
DiCaprio stars in Steven Spielberg’s Catch Me If You Can as a clever conman, Frank Abagnale Jr. who supposedly pulled off several successful heists all before his 18th birthday. Between impersonating an attorney and a co-pilot for a major airline, Abagnale starts to forge checks for large sums that soon create unwanted attention from the F.B.I.
With the law hot on his heels, Abagnale’s luck eventually runs out, and after he’s tricked into going to his mother’s house, he’s taken into federal custody. As he exits the building, Abagnale is escorted out in handcuffs by an officer who is actually Frank Abagnale Jr.
3 ‘Erin Brockovich’ (2000) – Erin Brockovich
Image via Universal Pictures
Erin Brockovich stars Julie Roberts as the title character and is based on the true story of Brockovich who initiated legal action against the Pacific Gas and Electric Company over its negligence of dumping wastewater and covering up the contamination of the water supply in Hinkley, California. The movie earned several Academy Award nominations and Roberts’ performance earned her the Oscar for Best Actress.
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The movie features a scene where Roberts’ character is having lunch with her three young children at a local diner. A blonde waitress with a bright smile arrives at their table to take their orders and is patient with the single mother of three. While the waitress only has a few minor lines, her appearance is notable as she’s actually Erin Brockovich.
2 ‘Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas’ (1998) – Hunter S. Thompson
Image via Universal Pictures
Johnny Depp stars in the drug-infused comedy, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, which is an adaptation of the 1971 novel written by Hunter S. Thompson. The movie follows Depp as journalist, Raoul Duke (who is supposed to be Thompson) as he travels to Las Vegas with his attorney, Dr. Gonzo (Benicio del Toro) for an upcoming motorcycle race.
While under the influence of several drugs, Duke wanders through a dark, smoke-filled room observing the individuals whom he happens to pass by. He stops in front of a man who is sitting at one of the tables and the two exchange awkward eye contact. Duke believes he’s looking at his future self and considering the man’s actually Thompson, it’s one of the movie’s funniest moments.
1 ‘The French Connection’ – Eddie Egan and Sonny Grosso
Image via 20th Century Studios
The French Connection is a neo-noir based on the true story of two New York City detectives and their pursuit of one of the biggest drug smugglers in the world. The movie stars Gene Hackman and Roy Scheider as detectives Jimmy Doyle and Buddy Russo and went on to win a total of five Oscars including Best Picture and Best Actor for Hackman’s performance.
The real-life detectives, Eddie Egan and Sonny Grosso have more than just brief cameos in The French Connection and are featured as legitimate characters. Egan plays Doyle and Russo’s supervisor, Captain Walt Simonson, and Grosso takes on the role of F.B.I. agent, Clyde Klein.
NEXT: Martin Scorsese’s 10 Best Cameos, Ranked